Hay River (Sep 27/04) - There is no time like autumn to capture great photos of the northern landscape. "I think fall is my favourite time of year," says Hay River photographer Rhonda Kauhausen, who loves the season's blazing mix of colours.

Hay River photographer Rhonda Kauhausen loves capturing scenes of fall colour. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Kauhausen says the changing colours of the leaves create wonderful opportunities for photos. "The possibilities are endless."

Fall is short in the North, which might explain why Northerners embrace the season, she said.

"It's the last splash of colour before our dark winters."

Gene Seymour, a photographer in Fort Smith, also enjoys capturing fall scenes.

"It seems like I always take more pictures in the fall," he says. "You really get great photos in the fall."

It's not only the variety of colours that makes autumn photography special but the cloudy skies that temper the sunshine. "It's not as harsh. You don't get that hard light/shadow difference," Seymour explained.

The science of fall colours

While they are mainly visible only in the fall, the yellow and orange pigments are always in the leaves.

However, they are masked in the summer by dominant chlorophyll, a green pigment, explained Bob Decker, a forest ecologist with RWED in Hay River.

Chlorophyll is essential for photosynthesis, by which a tree draws energy from sunlight.

As the temperature drops, production of chlorophyll decreases and yellow (carotene) and orange (xanthophyll) pigments show through, Decker said.

The cooler temperatures also trigger production of a red pigment (anthocyanin) in some trees, such as maple.

Decker said a number of factors contribute to the beauty of the autumn landscape -- the trees' species, the amount of light and other environmental influences.

"That's why you get the full range of colours."